Instructional Innovation Fellowship (IIF)

About IIF

As part of the Instructional Design, Engagement and Support (IDEAS) group’s mission to support innovation in teaching, as well as the effective use of teaching technologies, the Instructional Innovation Fellowship (IIF) supports UMass instructors across disciplines who are currently engaging in creative teaching practices to share their ideas with and learn from other UMass instructors.  

Modeled on the internationally renowned Teach Meet approach, IIF Fellows convene monthly in a community of practice and rotate presenting their innovative teaching methods and approaches related to topics such as creating dynamic lectures, assessing students, and developing engaging activities. 

Applications for the 2023-2024 fellowship are now closed. 

IIF Fellows 2022-2023

What is expected of Instructional Innovation Fellows?   

• Attend 8 (1.5-2 hr.) in-person meetings over the course of a year  
• Present twice on the monthly theme, showcasing an innovative way in which you used technology in your teaching  
• Collaborate with the IDEAS team to prepare your presentations 
• Share resources, ideas, and questions in a digital forum with other members of the fellowship   
• Allow the IDEAS team to share your teaching strategies and practice with a wider audience  

Some examples of innovative practices   

• Using H5P to create interactive reading / viewing assignments for students  
• Developing collaborative activities for engaging in-person and remote students together in a flex course  
• Collaboratively creating Open Education Resources (OER) with students  
• Creating a medical case study, using VoiceThread, in which students diagnose a patient, based on presenting symptoms    
• Using ArcGIS StoryMaps (a digital mapping tool) to have students create a historical walking tour that incorporates sites, places, or neighborhoods that explore a course’s major themes    

Interested in Applying for the IFF? 

Applications for the 2023-2024 IIF are now closed.

What is the application process?   

 Complete the application form, in which you write a letter of interest (approx. 500 words), describing:  

• Your interest in the IIF program and how it will contribute to your professional goals  
• Your proven experience using innovative teaching technologies  
• 2-3 examples of strategies, ideas, and/or approaches that you could present to your colleagues during in-person meetings   
• Any conflicts you may have in attending or presenting monthly meetings  

Eligibility criteria   

• Any UMass instructor is welcome to apply, including grad students, adjuncts, visiting lecturers, etc., provided you will be teaching at UMass for the duration of the fellowship 
• Instructors who teach online, Flex and/or in-person  

Fellows are selected based on the following criteria:  

• Clear articulation of their interest in the fellowship and how their participation contributes to their professional goals  
• Demonstration of innovation and creativity in teaching  
• Commitment to attending seminars and participating asynchronously in the Teams forum   

Stipend information    

• IFF Fellows receive a $500 stipend for their participation in the program. The stipend is awarded at the end of the fellowship. 

Questions?

If you have questions about the fellowship or application process, please contact Sharon Kearney (@email) and Tamarin Butcher (@email).